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Judging by the current national sentiment, Uncle Sam has once again wandered off the happy trails on which we�d prefer him to ride. But can we, just the usual joshing sidekick, possibly help him wend his way back through the tumbleweeds? Well, at least, we can give it a go. To begin, let's ask how the most sagely free and prosperous nation can often wander so distressingly far from the path on which we may find the preconditions of contentment, including the wide laudation of our allies, and even encouragement toward our own bliss? What if we search for clues by separating what has guided us, nationally and internationally, into two visions: the steps we, as a nation, must take and the steps we choose to take. As you will see in the full story, we will discover, in our search for the way home, where we have often been led astray: primarily, international conduct about which we have a choice. And we will conclude by saying that what we need is not the coercion of those who disagree with us, but the encouragement of those who wish to emulate us. What we need is America, not so much as a power in the world, but more as an example that might truly win the world to what we believe are the most salutary ideals. With such signposts, we might once again find ourselves on happy trails � and know, for the first time, how to keep ourselves and our fabled white charger squarely on them.
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